II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5205 

To modify the boundaries of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 

Mr. PADILLA introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

A BILL 

To modify the boundaries of the San Pablo Bay National 

Wildlife Refuge, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘San Pablo Bay Na5 tional Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SAN PABLO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 

7 BOUNDARY MODIFICATION, ACQUISITION, 

8 AND ADMINISTRATION. 

9 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en2 titled ‘‘San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge 

3 Boundary Modification Act’’ and dated July 24, 

4 2024. 

5 (2) NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.—The term 

6 ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge’’ means the San Pablo 

7 Bay National Wildlife Refuge located in Marin, 

8 Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties, California. 

9 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di11 rector of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv12 ice. 

13 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con14 gress that the Secretary should acquire land, water, or in15 terests therein, including conservation easements, from 

16 willing sellers within or adjoining the boundaries of the 

17 National Wildlife Refuge, including by— 

18 (1) including in each annual budget submission 

19 of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31, 

20 United States Code, a request for funding for Fed21 eral purposes from the Land and Water Conserva22 tion Fund established by section 200302(a) of title 

23 54, United States Code, for those acquisition pur24 poses; and 


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1 (2) prioritizing using funding made available 

2 each fiscal year for those acquisition purposes. 

3 (c) BOUNDARY MODIFICATION.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—There shall be included 

5 within the boundaries of the National Wildlife Ref6 uge the approximately 5,658 acres of land, marshes, 

7 tidal flats, salt ponds, submerged land, and open 

8 waters generally depicted on the Map as ‘‘Proposed 

9 Boundary Expansion Area’’. 

10 (2) LAND PROTECTION PLAN; PUBLIC PARTICI11 PATION.—In developing a Land Protection Plan for 

12 the land generally depicted on the Map as ‘‘Proposed 

13 Boundary Expansion Area’’, the Secretary shall pro14 vide an opportunity for public participation, giving 

15 special consideration to public and private entities, 

16 individuals, and residential communities located 

17 within Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties, 

18 California. 

19 (d) MAP.— 

20 (1) CORRECTIONS.—The Secretary may make 

21 clerical and typographical corrections to the Map. 

22 (2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY; EFFECT.—The Map 

23 and any corrections to the Map under paragraph (1) 

24 shall— 


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1 (A) be publicly available on the website of 

2 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; 

3 (B) be on file and available for public in4 spection in the appropriate offices of the United 

5 States Fish and Wildlife Service, including the 

6 office located at 2100 Sears Point Road, 

7 Sonoma, California 95476; and 

8 (C) have the same force and effect as if in9 cluded in this Act. 

10 (e) ACQUISITION.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may acquire 

12 land, water, or interests therein, including conserva13 tion easements, within the boundaries of the Na14 tional Wildlife Refuge by donation, purchase from 

15 willing sellers with donated or appropriated funds, or 

16 exchange. 

17 (2) NO USE OF CONDEMNATION OR EMINENT

18 DOMAIN.—The Secretary may not acquire any land, 

19 water, or interests therein under this section or for 

20 the purposes of this Act by condemnation or eminent 

21 domain. 

22 (f) ADMINISTRATION.—Subject to valid existing 

23 rights, the Secretary shall administer the land, water, and 

24 interests therein acquired under this section— 

25 (1) as part of the National Wildlife Refuge; and 


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1 (2) in accordance with— 

2 (A) the National Wildlife Refuge System 

3 Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd 

4 et seq.); and 

5 (B) this Act. 

6 (g) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS REGARDING NON7 FEDERAL LANDS.—The Secretary may enter into a coop8 erative agreement with the State of California, any agency 

9 or political subdivision of the State of California, or any 

10 other person for the voluntary co-management of land— 

11 (1) owned by the State of California, agency or 

12 political subdivision of the State of California, or 

13 person; and 

14 (2) located within or adjoining the boundaries 

15 of the National Wildlife Refuge. 

16 (h) TRANSFER FROM OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 

17 Any Federal property located within or adjoining the 

18 boundaries of the National Wildlife Refuge that is under 

19 the administrative jurisdiction of a department or agency 

20 of the Federal Government other than the Department of 

21 the Interior may, with the mutual concurrence of the head 

22 of the administering department or agency and the Sec23 retary, be transferred without consideration to the admin24 istrative jurisdiction of the Secretary for the purposes of 

25 this Act. 


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1 (i) PRIORITY USES.—In providing opportunities for 

2 compatible fish and wildlife dependent recreation, the Sec3 retary, in accordance with paragraphs (3) and (4) of sec4 tion 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Adminis5 tration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(a)), shall ensure 

6 that hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, 

7 and environmental education and interpretation are pri8 ority public uses of the National Wildlife Refuge. 

9 SEC. 3. DON EDWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BAY NATIONAL 

10 WILDLIFE REFUGE TECHNICAL AMEND11 MENTS. 

12 Section 3 of Public Law 92–330 (86 Stat. 399) is 

13 amended— 

14 (1) by striking ‘‘he’’ each place it appears and 

15 inserting ‘‘the Secretary’’; 

16 (2) in subsection (a), in the second sentence, by 

17 striking ‘‘Secertary’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’; and 

18 (3) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘him’’ and in19 serting ‘‘the Secretary’’. 

Æ 


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